Autosled.



S. N. STOWELL.

AuosLEn. i APPLICATION FILED MAY I9, 1911 Patented Mar. 5, 1918.

2 SHEETa-SHEET 2 JBQ.

3/ jay 'a lll UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFTCE.

SAMUEL N. STOWELL, OF REXBURG, IDAHO.

AUTOSLED.

intense.

Application filed May 19, 1917.

To all p11i/1,0111, t may concern.'

Be it known that l, SAMUEL il. S'rownLL, a citizen oil' the United States, residing at Harburg, in the county oi Madison and State ot ldaho, have invented certain uselinl lmiirovements in Autosledss ci? which the liol lowing a spccitication.` reterencc being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

The present invention has reference genorally to improvements in motor vehicles and more particularly relates to an auto sled.

lt is the principal aim and object ot the present invention to provide improved ground engaging propelling means operably connected to the driving means et' a motor vehicle such as an automobile and ar ranged to support the rear end oli the automobile and to propel the automobile either forwardly or reversely over the ground so as to especially adapt the automobile 'l'or use on snow and ice. p

lillore particularly1 the present invention includes the provision of a novel cylindrical propeller being designed to serve as a ruimer in addition to having a propelling action, the operation oit the improved dcvice being controllable through the usual transmission of the motor vehicle.

The invention as a 'further improvement contemplates the provision of novel ground engaging means or cleats on the outer face of the propeller.

Still further, the present invention embodies the improved means for operably connecting an opposed pair et the combined propellers and runners so that they will rotate simultaneously with the actuation of the driving shaft of the motor vehicle but in opposite directions to each other so as to overcome and prevent a skidding action usually incident to motor vehicles.

Among the other aims and objects et the present invention may be recited 'the pro vision of a device oi. the character inentioned with a view to compactness, and in which the number of parts are few, the construction simple, the cost of production low and the etliciency high.

@ther improvements and novel details in the construction and arrangement et the various parts el the apparatus will he brought out more in detail in the description to follow, which for a clear understanding of the invention, should he considered in connection with the accompanying drawings 'forming a part hereof, and wherein is dis- Spccicaton o1 Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 5, 1918.

Serial No. 169,605.

closed for the purpose of illustration a convenient and satisfactory embodiment of the invention. lt is to be noted in this connection that minor changes in the construction and arrangement ot arts may be made `without departing from the spirit oi the invention or the principle ol" operation oi the various parts.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in whichzm Figure l is a top plan view of the invention opcrably connected to an automobile.

Fig. 2 is a rear end elevation thereof.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation ot thc invention in an operative position.

Fig. ilis a vertical section through one ot the propellers.

Fig. 5 is a sectional detail ot a modified form et tread for the propeller.

Fig. 6 a sectional detail of another modilied form ot tread for the propeller.

Similar characters ot' reference are employed in all oit the above described views, to indicate corresponding parts.

Referring now. more particularly, to the accompanying drawings. there is illustrated the iframe of a motor vehicle such as an automobile, being designated in its entirety by the numeral l while connected to the sides thereof is a transversely extending har 2 the outer ends ot which are reinforced with respect to the side bars b v means of short reinforcing bars 3.

Spaced longitudinal shafts -l and 5 are now provided. the outer ends being liournaled in suitable bearings 6 in the rear end pieces of the frame while the inner ends are journals-d in thrust bearings 7 in the transverse bar Q so as to prevent longitudinal movement of the shafts 4L and 5 during actuation in a manner that will become hereinafter apparent.

ith a view toward providing the improved ground engaging and propelling means for supporting the rear end ot the automobile there is employed in the present instance a pair of propellers indicated in their entirety by the numerals 8 and 9 respectively carried by the shafts lf-*5. Each oi these propellers consists of a cylindrical bodv l0 the front and rear edges of which are lrounded as indicated by the numeral l1. Front and rear circular plates 1Q are provided being bolted or otherwise rigidly secured as indicated by the numeral 13 on the rtree ends et the rounded portions 1l. These plates are provided with central openings lll which are arranged about the shafts ite-5 while collars l5 are also arranged about the shafts lit- 5 and have flanges l@ extending theretrom. and rigidly secured to the plates 'I2 about the ope? llt by means ot suit ably iar-i=ten.ing dei l?. The collars are rigid u] -h respect to the shafts t 5 so that the propellers will turn with the shalt. A reinforcing partition 18 has the outer edges thereo't rigidly connecttal `iuterinediate the endsot the casi g' and provided with a central opening l) tor arrangement about the shafts while other collars 2.0 have their flanges 2l arranged on opposite sides of the plates about the openings and are secured to the plates by suitable iastening devices 22, the collars in turn being rigidly connected to the shafts Lil-5.

In order to insure ot a forward or reverse movement oit the automobile the propeilers are provided with suitable ground engaging means. ln the present instance each propeller has the cuter surface o1- the body as well 1 as the curved portion thereof provided with cleats or ribs n3 spirally arranged thereon and as indicated in llig. l the cleats or ribs 23 ou the propeller E5 are arranged in a different direction than those on the propeller 9 so as to prevent slridding of the machine in a manner that will become hereinafter apparent. Because ott the spiral arrangement oit the cleats it will be appreciated that during rotation oit the propellers they have a wornrlike action on the ground to consequently move the automobile in a corresponding direction in which they are actuated. @t course. it will likewise be ap preciatcd that owing to the rounded portions l1 the propellers serve in the capacity of runners so as to operate freely over the snow or ice on the grouiid.

As intimated, suitable means have been provided tor operably connecting the shafts L-5 to the usual driving means of a inotor vehicle, ln reducing the invention. to practice a conveziiient and satisfactory forni consi sts ot beveled gears Qa carried by the shafts 4 5 and meshing with miter gears 25 carried by the stub shatts 2G which are journaled in the bearings 27 on the sides of the 'frame l and in the hearing openings 2S in the shortreiutoreing bars 3. nnall gears 29 are carried by the opposite ends of the stub shafts 2G and mesh with large gears o0 rigidlycarried by the rear axle 3l ot. the motor vehicle7 instead oit the customary ground wheels. Oi course, when it is not desired to se the attachment the saine can be readily detached therefrom and `the usual wheels not shown can be mounted on the respective ends `ot the axle. By `the arrangement oit the transmission just described it will be appreciated that the speed rolf the propellers is greater than the speed ort the engine ot the automonetas-ee bile not. shown to consequently assure ot an ettective operation of the device.

ln order to `permit o'l access to Athe body ot the propeller, doors 33 are swingingly connected to the plates to close the small openings therein and through which the hand and arm ol." the mechanic may be passed.

In Fig. there is shown a modiiied form olf ground engaging' means. In addition to the spi ally arranged cleats or ribs 35 'the inner ends orf each ot the ribs are turned outwardly as indicated by the numeral 36.

ln llig. S there is shown still another torni ot ground engaging cleats. ln this embodi nient the `spirally arranged ribs 37 are termed by pressing the body as well as the cinwed portions outwardly.

".lhe operation of the invention inay be reviewed as follows:

Assuming that the parts have been assembled in the manner described and it is desired to propel theautoniobile over the ground, the automobile is started in the usual manner `and rotary niotion is transmitted from the rear axle through the gears 30 and 29 to the stub arles 26 and owing to the niiter gears and 2d rotary motion will be imparted to the sha-tts et and 5 so as to consequently rotate the shafts at and 5 in opposite directions to each other. lnasmuch as the propellers 8 and 9 are carried. by the respective shafts et and 5 they will also be rotated in opposite directions. Because of the spiral arrangement oi the sharpened cleats or ribs during rotation of the propellers the said `cleats will have a worm-like action on the snow or ice to consequently propel the automobile in a corresponding direction to the actuating means therefor. Likewise owing to the .roundedV portions ll the propellers act in the capacity ot runners and ride freely over the ground.

Since the direction. of rotation el? the propellers is toward each other it will be appreciated that shielding of the vehicle is obviated.

As many changes could be made in the above construction and many apparently widely diilierent embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the'scope thereof,` and it is intended that all matter contained in the abovedescription or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limited sense.` It is also to be understood that theV language used in the following i claims is intended to cover all the generic nzeegiee driving axles of a rnol'or vehicle, ot n pair ot :nmeed longitudinal eli-rifle jonrnnled 'in lle iranien, `ground en;n in@v propellere on (be outer rnr ilse ,snelle und enen including; n eyliinlricrxl body tbc Yliront :ind renr edges' olE n'liicli :llfc rounded, platee inclos ing; the reepective ende olf each bodj,T :1nd Alorined with central opening;t n tren' partition in encli bodf)r und provided w1 li n ccnl rnl opening, collars cnrriecil by tbe platen :ind llre partitions neer time openings for rigid engagement Vwith tbe eli-nit 'einen ille propoliorsy are nltnclied tliereto, epirnlly nrrznnrcd cleats on ille outer enrl'ece olf enen propeller, l'lie elente on one propeller extending: in dill'erent directions liroin the clears' on ille other propeller, :ind ineens Yfor onernbly connectingy the lonfgiiinlinnl slnrlfts lo tbe drire elnrlil or tlie vehicle so ne to .con-

\ s-ieqneniljr rotate tbe propellere 'in n dircction toward eneli other.

ln conibinntion witll [lle lifrzinie :ind drinlngl uitleg of n motor vehicle, ot ai, parir ol" spaced .longitudinal sbatte carried on the fi-nine? `c 'ronnd engaging propellere on tbe enter ende` olf ine Slin'l'tsT stub shafts jonrnoled in ille 'l'rnnie :ind operubly connected opies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each,

Washington, D. C.

io the longitudinal shafts and also opereloly connected to the respective ends of the drive elnrlte so tlnxt during operation of the drive slmli'l: tbe propellers will be rotated in a direil'ion toward web other.

5. The combinntion with a frame und drivingl axles of n motor vehicle, of e pair o. spaced longitmlinnl shafts journaled in Ille lr-nine, ineens for preventing longitudinal nimenient of the shafts und the frame, ground engaging Propellers on the outer projecting' ends oii the shafts, beveled gears carried by the longitudinal shafts adjacent one end thereof, stub shafts journaled in the sides oif the freine, beveled gears carried by the inner ends of the stub shafts, and meshing with the beveled gears on the longitudinal elnrlte, other goers mounted on the outer ende of the stub Shafts, and gears carried by the projecting extremities of the driving slnrlte and meshing with the lest mentioned gears on tbe stub shafts so es to consequently rotate the Propellers toward cnc-li other.

ln testimony whereof I elli): lny signature.

SAMUEL N. STOVVELL.

by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, 

